Matchup’s to watch: Bengals vs. Ravens

1. Green vs. Secondary- Bengals star receiver A.J. Green is a matchup nightmare given his size and athleticism. The Ravens secondary has struggled recently with their coverage and communication. They cannot afford to have any problems on Sunday or else Green will make them pay for it. Advantage: Green

2- Ravens O-Line vs. Bengals D-Line- With Bengals all-pro defensive tackle out for the season, the Ravens twill have one less thing to worry about when dealing with this talented group. The Bengals feature three tough ends to block in Wallace Gilberry, Michael Johnson, and Carlos Dunlap, and they also have former Steeler James Harrison coming off the edge on occasion. The Ravens offensive line has yet to have a great game as a unit and it wouldn’t be surprising to see quarterback Joe Flacco scrambling for his life come Sunday. Advantage: Bengals

3. Bengals O-Line vs. Ravens D-Line- The Bengals feature a few talented offensive lineman on their team, including left tackle Andrew Whitworth. The Ravens defensive line has had some great games this season, but are coming off of a game where they were unable to make a journeyman quarterback look uncomfortable. Andy Dalton is having a great season so far and Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are going to have to find a way to get to him. Haloti Ngata, Chris Canty, and company should be able to matchup on the run game with these guys. This battle could determine the outcome of this game. Advantage: Even

4. Bengals tight ends vs. Ravens Linebackers/Safeties: The Bengals are one of the few teams that feature two dangerous tight ends in the NFL. They have two guys who are more than capable of splitting out wide and matching up with a safety or even a cornerback. Both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert are former first round picks and will pose a large threat to this Ravens defense. The Ravens did a great job of limiting Browns tight end Jordan Cameron last week, but earlier in the season they had problems shutting down Julius Thomas. Inside linebackers Jameel McClain, Daryl Smith, and even Arthur Brown will have their hands full with these guys. Advantage: Bengals

5. Ray Rice vs. Bengals Linebackers- Ray Rice may still be dealing with a nagging injury and that could explain his poor play, but he should be doing better than averaging 2.7 yards a carry. He hasn’t been a threat in the passing game either, and if the Ravens want to beat the Bengals the Ravens are going to have to get him going early and often. They can’t afford to be one dimensional. The Bengals feature two stud linebackers in Vontae Burfict and James Harrison, but neither are particularly fast, so we may see Rice break out in the passing game this week. Until we see a healthier, more productive Rice, though, there is no way to know if he will produce. Advantage: Even